Coating compositions containing cellulose derivatives typically exemplified by methyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxymethylpropyl cellulose, and carboxymethyl cellulose have been widely used as an emulsion coating, a paper coating, various adhesives, an ultraviolet curing coating, a photoresist for screen printing, a photoresist for lift-off, a pasty composition, and the like. However, the coating film formed by applying these compositions to a substrate and drying lacks water resistance and tends to come off the substrate due to poor adhesion.
In order to solve the above problems, a cellulose derivative having a specific average degree of substitution by a specific substituent per unit glucose ring and having the hydrogen atom of the residual hydroxyl groups substituted with an N-methyleneacrylamide group has been proposed (see JP-A-2-298501, the term "JP-A" means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application"). It has been still desired to develop a cellulose compound having improvements in adhesion to a substrate, flexibility, and decomposability or volatilizability when baked.